Paul’s letter to the Galatians was intended to establish the true means of salvation and to make it clear to everyone that faith in Jesus Christ is the only basis for having a relationship with God. Paul told the Galatians, who were some of the first Gentiles that were converted to Christianity, “We ourselves are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners; yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified” (Galatians 2:15-16). Justification by faith, one of the key doctrines of the early church, was essential for separating Christianity from Judaism, the belief system of the Jews.

Paul concluded his letter to the Galatians with an important lesson about being led by the Spirit. Paul argued that the freedom believers have to live their lives without following the Mosaic Law does not mean that they have no obligation to do what God wants them to. Paul encouraged believers to keep in step with the Spirit so that they do not fulfill the desires of the flesh because “those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God” (Galatians 5:21). Paul then reminded the Galatians of a principle that was demonstrated over and over again by the nation of Israel in their relationship with God. Paul warned the Galatians:

Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant. Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit. (Galatians 6:7-8, NLT)

Sowing and reaping was a common analogy that Jesus used in his messages about the kingdom of heaven. In his parable of the sower, Jesus identified several obstacles to sowing to the Spirit (Matthew 13:18-22). Jesus said the key to successfully sowing to the Spirit is “good soil” (Matthew 13:23) or rather, a heart that is receptive to receiving the truth of God’s word. “Jesus spoke in parables to explain spiritual truths, but those who had already rejected him did not have divinely enlightened minds with which to perceive those truths, and no amount of explanation would make them understand (1 Cor 2:14). They could watch and hear Jesus with their physical eyes and ears, but they were not capable of understanding the truth in their hearts because they had rejected him (2 Cor 4:3, 4)…People do not hear and see because their hearts are full of wickedness, consequently, they fail to understand the truth that has been given them. They are so opposed to God’s message that they harden themselves against it, lest they should understand it and ask forgiveness of God. Once they reject Jesus they also reject the possibility of understanding the parables that Jesus told (Isa. 55:6-8)” (note on Matthew 13:10-17).

King Ahab and his wife Jezebel are examples of people who reaped what they sowed in the Old Testament even though they thought they could get away with ignoring God’s word (2 Kings 9-10). King Ahab was killed in battle and Jezebel was “thrown from a window, trampled by horses and eaten by dogs” (2 Kings 9:30-37). “God ensures we receive our just desserts. Spiritual growth, therefore, means learning to think about where our actions will lead and acting accordingly” (What Goes Around Comes Around, The Spiritual Growth Bible, p. 359). Paul described this process as walking by the Spirit, being led by the Spirit, and also living by the Spirit. The idea that Paul was trying to convey was one of dependence, the believer’s need for the Holy Spirit to show him which pathway to take.

Paul said believers should not “grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up” (Galatians 6:9). The Greek words Paul used that are translated due season, idios (idˊ-ee-os) kairos (kahee-rosˊ) denote a personal or private appointment, “equivalent to a fixed and definite time or season” (G2450) “pertaining to self, i.e. one’s own” (G2398). This means that each individual person will have their own time or season for harvesting what they have planted. For those who have rejected Jesus, that time may not come until after the person dies, when he or she stands before the Lord at the great white throne judgment (Revelation 20:11-15). For those who have sown to the Spirit, they will reap the fruit of the Spirit during their lifetime (Galatians 5:22-23) and eternal life afterward (Galatians 6:8). The key to getting there is not giving up. Jesus said, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30).